ILLINOIS TREES: SELECTION, PLANTING, AND CARE 51 



appear in late June or July. One kind is erect, stalked, 6-8 inches 

 long, and bears male flowers. The other kind bears two to five 

 perfect flowers in clusters near the bases of slender, hairy cat- 

 kins, 21/2-5 inches long. The large, globular, brown bur is 

 densely covered with long, branched, sharp spines. It splits open 

 into four parts to expose from one to three sweet, reddish- to 

 lustrous-brown, edible nuts, each •' 1.-I inch long and having a 

 sharp, hairy tip. The grayish-brown bark is divided by shallow 

 fissures into broad, flat ridges which often are arranged spirally 

 around the trunk. 



Because of chestnut blight, a fungus disease, American and 

 Spanish (C. sativa) chestnuts are not recommended for orna- 

 mental plantings. Japanese (C. crenata) and Chinese (C. mol- 

 Hssima) chestnuts are resistant to chestnut blight and are used 

 occasionally in lawn, park, and street plantings. However, the 

 Asiatic chestnuts are susceptible to oak wilt, which is serious and 

 widespread in Illinois. The light, soft, coarse-grained wood of 

 American chestnut is durable in the soil and is suitable for fence 

 posts, poles, and railroad ties. It is useful also for interior finish- 

 ing of houses and is highly prized by some for making furniture. 



Coffee Tree 



Kentucky coffee tree {Gijinnocladus dioicus) , sometimes 

 called coffeenut or mahogany, is found mostly in rich bottom- 

 lands in Illinois. It is hardy in Illinois and may be used occasion- 

 ally as a specimen tree (Fig. 52) on wide lawns. It grows vig- 

 orously, reaching a height of 80-90 feet, with 3-4 upright main 

 stems which form a narrow, round-topped crown. The stubby 

 branches give the tree a distinctive winter silhouette and make it 

 relatively resistant to damage caused by ice and wind. 



The large, alternate, doubly compound leaves (Fig. 52 in- 

 set), 2-3 feet long, have numerous smooth, dark green, egg- 

 shaped leaflets 2-21/2 inches long and 1 inch wide. The greenish- 

 white male and female flowers are produced separately on the 

 same tree. The male flowers are in clusters 3-4 inches long and 

 the female flowers are in clusters 10-12 inches long. The hard- 

 shelled, dark brown seeds are produced in brown, thick, flat, 

 bulky pods 3-6 inches long and 1-2 inches wide which remain on 

 the tree over winter. The seeds remain viable for several years 

 in the soil. The red-tinted, dark gray bark is curiously ridged 

 with thin, scaly flakes attached at the sides. 



Kentucky coffee tree is unusually free of diseases and insect 



